Event

• 18 Jan: Día de Santa Prisca (‘Feast of Saint Prisca’) – Taxco, State of Guerrero. A feast day in the city of Taxco commemorating the patron saint of the cathedral, Saint Prisca.

Rituals

The celebrations begin with the blessing of animals on the Feast of Saint Anthony the Abbot (17 Jan) [see the article]. After the blessing, the competition of best-attired animals begins in the Borda garden. The following day at dawn, hundreds of pilgrims from the state of Guerrero gather outside the cathedral in order to attend the singing of LasMañanitas to Saint Prisca. Subsequently, an event of regional dancing and fireworks takes place and celebrations continue throughout the day.

Song: Las Mañanitas

Las Mañanitas(‘little mornings’) is a traditional Mexican song sung on birthdays, as an early morning serenade to wake up a loved one. According to the legend, Saint Prisca was a Roman girl, who was tortured and executed for her Christian faith at the age of 13. Thus, she is honoured as a child martyr.

One of the most famous versions of Las Mañanitas is from a 1948 Mexican drama film, Nosotros los pobres (‘We, the Poor’), directed by Ismael Rodríguez. It is sung by the main character, a poor carpenter Pepe ‘El Toro’ (played by Pedro Infante), to his adapted daughter Chachita (‘the young girl’) (played by Evita Muñoz).